New Zealand SIM provider coverage

[Ima Ginaree]

I will have a 300 minute internet plan while onboard my upcoming NZ cruise. All the feedback suggests these minutes will be used up very quickly due to the clunky nature of the cruise ship’s internet. My back up plan is to buy a pre paid local SIM card (or eSim) on arrival in Auckland to cover me for at least 11 days. I’ll use it for 5-6 days prior to embarkation and daily in 5 NZ cruise ports (Tuaranga, Napier, Wellington, Timaru, Dunedin).

My questions are to NZ locals or NZ cruise alumni:
- Is there a critical difference between providers ´Spark’ and ´One’? Do they both offer tethering to lap tops and tablets?
- Is there likely to be much coverage at sea between ports, or are we likely to travel too far from the coast? Does either provider’s offering stand out from the other?

- Is there likely to be ANY coverage by any provider in or around the sounds (Milford, Doubtful, Dusky)? I’m assuming these areas are too remote, but thought I’d ask.

A travel article I read suggests Spark has slightly better coverage, however they are probably comparing the coverage on the coastline with that of inland towns. I’m more interested in the cruising aspect of their coverage.

Airolo offers international travel sims that sound decent but they are data only. I’m considering having the ability to talk and text to Australia and within NZ that both Spark and One offer. 

What are your thoughts?

[yarramar]

7 hours ago, Ima Ginaree said:

I will have a 300 minute internet plan while onboard my upcoming NZ cruise. All the feedback suggests these minutes will be used up very quickly due to the clunky nature of the cruise ship’s internet. My back up plan is to buy a pre paid local SIM card (or eSim) on arrival in Auckland to cover me for at least 11 days. I’ll use it for 5-6 days prior to embarkation and daily in 5 NZ cruise ports (Tuaranga, Napier, Wellington, Timaru, Dunedin).

My questions are to NZ locals or NZ cruise alumni:
- Is there a critical difference between providers ´Spark’ and ´One’? Do they both offer tethering to lap tops and tablets?
- Is there likely to be much coverage at sea between ports, or are we likely to travel too far from the coast? Does either provider’s offering stand out from the other?

- Is there likely to be ANY coverage by any provider in or around the sounds (Milford, Doubtful, Dusky)? I’m assuming these areas are too remote, but thought I’d ask.

A travel article I read suggests Spark has slightly better coverage, however they are probably comparing the coverage on the coastline with that of inland towns. I’m more interested in the cruising aspect of their coverage.

Airolo offers international travel sims that sound decent but they are data only. I’m considering having the ability to talk and text to Australia and within NZ that both Spark and One offer. 

What are your thoughts?

Which Telco are you with in Australia?

[Ima Ginaree]

14 hours ago, yarramar said:

Which Telco are you with in Australia?

I have an annual prepaid plan with Aldi Mobile (they use the Telstra network).

I checked whether Aldi include any NZ coverage in the plan. They don’t. Their international roaming charges are $1 a minute to receive or make calls and 50c for sending an SMS (per 160 characters) and 50c per MB of data. So, not an attractive option for this trip. I’ll still turn international roaming on so I can receive (free) SMS, to cover me if i need 2 factor authentication while in NZ. 

[yarramar]

5 minutes ago, Ima Ginaree said:

I have an annual prepaid plan with Aldi Mobile (they use the Telstra network).

I checked whether Aldi include any NZ coverage in the plan. They don’t. Their international roaming charges are $1 a minute to receive or make calls and 50c for sending an SMS (per 160 characters) and 50c per MB of data. So, not an attractive option for this trip. I’ll still turn international roaming on so I can receive (free) SMS, to cover me if i need 2 factor authentication while in NZ. 

Depending on your phone, you should have WiFi Calling available. This means that if you are connected to a WiFi network, hotel, ship, data SIM (if you have dual SIM or are using a hotspot from another phone with a data SIM), etc. you can call or text home as if you are there.

Don't turn on Int Roaming while your Aldi Mobile is connected to a NZ tower, your phone may start updating apps or uploading photos, etc and at 50c per MB could incur $1000's in charges.

[Ima Ginaree]

10 hours ago, yarramar said:

Depending on your phone, you should have WiFi Calling available. This means that if you are connected to a WiFi network, hotel, ship, data SIM (if you have dual SIM or are using a hotspot from another phone with a data SIM), etc. you can call or text home as if you are there.

Don't turn on Int Roaming while your Aldi Mobile is connected to a NZ tower, your phone may start updating apps or uploading photos, etc and at 50c per MB could incur $1000's in charges.

Thanks for the tip yarramar. I’ll see if I can find out more about how / if wi-fi calling works internationally. 
I only came across wifi calling when I was in north west Queensland a few months back. I was shocked when I received an incoming phone call. I was able to make calls as well. There was absolutely no mobile coverage available in the outback town we were visiting but I was connected to the caravan park’s wifi at the time. I remember seeing ‘Telstra wi-fi calling’ on the phone’s display (in the spot where I normally see ‘ALDImobile’). I’d forgotten all about it!

[Colin 2905]

I've only been to NZ once. It was nearly eight years ago and land-based, so anything that I can recall isn't going to be of much use. However, a quick search found an article that might be of some help...

https://www.canstarblue.co.nz/phone-internet/best-mobile-coverage/

Specific to one of your questions, none of the three NZ carriers have coverage in Milford sound.

 

Yarramar's suggestion of WiFi Calling (aka VoWi-Fi) is good one, and it appears that your handset supports it (what do you have?). It works internationally for providers using Telstra, both Retail and Wholesale, but you can only call Australian numbers. (It doesn't work at all for providers using Optus or Vodafone, as they geo-restrict it to Australia only.)

 

Note that SMS over WiFi (aka IPSMS) on MVNO's that use Telstra Wholesale (such as Aldi Mobile) is still a work in progress. I tested it with my Aldi SIM this morning (I have multiple services, spread across all AU networks), and it still doesn't work. You should still be able to receive SMS's (for free) though, if / when you have roaming coverage.

 

As for International Roaming using Aldi, since they're pre-paid only there's no possibility of the so-called "bill shock", but there is the real possibility of using up any PAYG credit you might have in the blink of an eye.

 

If you have a dual SIM phone that supports eSIM, do a search for the Eskimo promo that'll give you 1GB free to play around with (and maybe an extra 500MB if referrals still apply).

[yarramar]

This discussion may also be of use. I am also still researching the different options. 
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/974p75m2

[Ima Ginaree]

On 12/15/2023 at 11:06 AM, yarramar said:

This discussion may also be of use. I am also still researching the different options. 
https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/974p75m2

Wow! There is so much info in the Whirlpool Forums, thanks for sharing the link. There were links to other related whirlpool threads plus a link to apple support re using dual Sim/eSims.

However, it was a lot of reading and I don’t think I have a full grasp of it all yet.

A couple of comments implied that to receive SMS when overseas, as long as you’re hooked up to wifi calling, you don’t need to turn on international roaming with your Australian provider. I need to delve into that further as this would negate the risk of ‘accidentally’ using Australian data.

As one person on Whirlpool commented, it was complex to set up but now it just works when it’s needed.  Maybe I just have to be brave and just go for it.

[Ima Ginaree]

On 12/15/2023 at 10:29 AM, Colin 2905 said:

If you have a dual SIM phone that supports eSIM, do a search for the Eskimo promo that'll give you 1GB free to play around with (and maybe an extra 500MB if referrals still apply).

Thanks Colin, this is a great suggestion, to better understand how eSims work without the anxiety of doing it for the first time when overseas.

I have a newer model iPhone with one Sim slot and allegedly room for several eSims.

[Colin 2905]

30 minutes ago, Ima Ginaree said:

Wow! There is so much info in the Whirlpool Forums, thanks for sharing the link. There were links to other related whirlpool threads plus a link to apple support re using dual Sim/eSims.

 

A couple of comments implied that to receive SMS when overseas, as long as you’re hooked up to wifi calling, you don’t need to turn on international roaming with your Australian provider. I need to delve into that further as this would negate the risk of ‘accidentally’ using Australian data.

 

There's also a thread on eSIM's and international travel on the AFF (Australian Frequent Flyer) forums that's worth a read. Look for the thread titled, "eSims, what is your experience".

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, you won't receive SMS's over WiFi with Aldi Mobile (even in Australia)..... yet. Only Telstra themselves and Boost at this stage. If you need to be able to receive text messages when outside Australia, see my previous comments.

 

24 minutes ago, Ima Ginaree said:

Thanks Colin, this is a great suggestion, to better understand how eSims work without the anxiety of doing it for the first time when overseas.

I have a newer model iPhone with one Sim slot and allegedly room for several eSims.

 

You can have multiple eSIM profiles, but you can only have a maximum of two SIM's active at any one time. Newer models (iPhone 13 and later) will let you have the physical SIM plus one eSIM active, or two eSIM's active. Older models (XR / XS to 12) are restricted to the physical SIM plus one eSIM. It's all done through the Settings > Mobile menu, and is fairly simple.

 

[yarramar]

2 hours ago, Ima Ginaree said:

A couple of comments implied that to receive SMS when overseas, as long as you’re hooked up to wifi calling, you don’t need to turn on international roaming with your Australian provider. I need to delve into that further as this would negate the risk of ‘accidentally’ using Australian data.

While overseas, it is "Data Roaming" which needs to be turned off. Leave the phone on as in don't put it into "aeroplane mode" and if a call comes in, you don't have to answer it and let it just go to voicemail. Text messages are usually free to receive (but check). You also should not incur the $10 a day roaming if "data roaming" remains off. (Again, check).

As above, once you have installed your Eskimo eSIM, your phone will magically have all the settings you need to play with switching SIM's etc